Fruit, berry, and vegetable box



Sept. 15, 1936. M. HARRIS I FRUIT, BERRY, AND VEGETABLE BOX Filed July 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 15, 1936. E15 2,054,785

FRUIT, BERRY, AND VEGETABLE BOX Filed July 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 15, 1936 4 I UNITED STATES FATE'NT OFFICE l 1 2,054,785 '7 7 1 FRUIT, BVERQRYKAND VEGETABLE BOX Maynard Lawrence Harris, Overbmok-Hills, Pa.

Application July 5, 1934, Serial No.. 733,706

' 01aims, (01. 206-44) My invention relates to boxes for the ,distribuside, one of the ribs being at .each outside edge tion, display and sale of small fruits, berries and and the other rib registering with the muntin. vegetables. A further purpose is to dry sheets of wood of A purpose of my invention is to make the fruit, veneer thickness after formation of the veneer and ,5 berries or vegetables contained within a wooden preliminarily to attachment of pliable transparent box or basket of veneer thickness visible from material to the wood at points adjacent window the side as well as from the top without ,d-isaropenings in the wood, so that the pliable transranging the contents or removing the hood, if a parent material will not be crinkled by subsehood be used. quent drying of the wood and so that the adhe- 1.o A further purpose is to locate pliable transpar site, preferably lateX,.. penetra e d implies ent windows in the side walls of a wooden fruit, Hate th W a d produce a r i t a a nt berry or vegetable box or basket,rdesi rably securbetween the wood and the pliable transparent ing the windows to thewooden walls of the box or material.

basket by adhesive applied when the walls are Further purposes appear in the specification dry. I V i and in the claims. ,7 15

A further purpose is to employ a resilient ad- In the w n s I hav chosen t illustrat only hesive, preferably latex, to secure pliable transa few of the po v r n in which y parent windows to the previouslydried wallsof vention may be embodied, C o the forms a Wooden fruit, berry or vegetable box or basket shown largely from the standpoints of convenof veneer thickness, so that relative yielding can ience in illustration and facility in 0 fi ii fitio-n. 20 take place bet een th pliable transparent t Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box or basrial and the wood, and the wood can change its ket 01 Sm l iruit, berries and veget l s mdimensions due to change in its moisture content bodying y invention. 1 without necessarily tearing or crinkling the pli-. Figure 2 is a fragmenta y Se f Figure 1 5 able transparent material. V V on the line the pliable transparent material A further purpose is to cement transparent b in b k y tO OW the edge of one Of-the windows over window openings in a very thinancl i pe i s.

flexible wooden berry box wall of veneer thick: I F ure 3 is a rag a sec of Fi ure 1 ness, using a covering for the window thinner and on h line more flexible than the wooden wall, uniting the Figure 4 is a p View Of One Of the desirably 30 covering to the wall by an adhesive which will flex d p h blanks used in making the 1001560111 a andbend with the wall without cracking d ,dpyside walls of the box of Figures 1 to ,3 inclusive. ing the wood preliminarily to reduce moisture-al- I Figure is a p rspective View of a somewha teration of the wall dimensions, difierent form of box from that shown in Figures A further purpose is to construct a strawberry 1 i 35 or similar box or basket of crossed sheets of .ex- Figure 6 is a Section Of Figure 5 along t e line tremely thin wood joined together at the top by thereofi i a hoop which Sheets have double .windew Open- Figure 7 is a perspective view vof a variant form ings, separatedby a muntin, in the side walls, and of b x embodying invention- 0 to cement a sheet of pliable transparent material Figure 3 is section of Figure 7 along he. l ne 4.0

to the inside of each side wall so that the pliable -,T.l I 1 r v transparent material extends across the window igu 915 a l n View q d e ca e, w openings and across the muntin, being secured to the i the bottom and sldes o Whlch the box of Figures 7 and 8 is assembled.

th 11 d to the muntins. s g

e Wa s an My invention relates to the type of box or bas- 45 A further purpose is to make up a strawberry v pq' f f ,g f fi s mf ries, raspberries, huckleberries, plums, peaches, JOln $1 95 an 0 Om s exoen g apricots, etc. and of small vegetables such as peas, across the bottom and upeach side and secured, beans onionssrussels Sprouts, tomatoesyetcr The 50 byadhesive t0 the Sides and bQttQm n 'e boxes or baskets of the type which I have in mind around t e l h bOX ShOU-Id preferably have are frequently called carriers, and initiallycome double Wind W parated :by a mllntin, d t to the retailer in a crate which contains many carshould preferably be three ribs extending down riers. I 1

each side, across the bottom and up the opposite J;ustly -or unjustly, the public has come to be 55 suspicious of the integrity of the producer, middleman and retailer of fruit, berries and vegetables, and has adopted the practice of requiring the salesman to demonstrate that the articles farther down in the box are of the same quality as those. at the top by dumping the box and exhibiting its contents. This procedure is tedious and annoying to the salesman, especially where the box is protected against duct by a transparent hood or cover, for example of Cellophane. In the latter case, the salesman must remove the hood or cover before dumping the contents of the box to satisfy the purchaser. Q

To avoid this difiiculty, I propose to provid the sides of a veneer-thickness wooden carrier with windows through which the purchaser may see the fruit, berries or vegetables within the box and below the upper surface. The transparent material used for the windows will desirably be Cellophane or the equivalent secured to the inside of the box by a suitable adhesive. As the wood employed in the walls of boxes of the character under discussion is extremely thin and susceptible of very marked change in contour, and

" size with change in its moisture content, I will preferably use an adhesive which will maintain a resilient or stretchable union between the pliable transparent material and the wood, so that, for example, if the wood becomes moist and expands, it will not tear the pliable transparent material, and if the wood subsequently dries it will not crinkle the pliable transparent material, the diiferences in size of the wood being taken up by stretching or contraction of the resilient adhesive material. The adhesive will flex with the box wall.

Likewise, if undue pressure is applied to the pliable transparent material, either from the outside by some neighboring object or from the inside by the contents of the box, the pliable transparent materal will not immediately break but will yield slightly with respect to its attachment to the wood.

The most desirable elastic or resilient cement of which I know is essentially rubber in the form of latex. Other materials, such as retarders, may be added, but the adhesive should have the desirable resilient quality due to the latex. In addition to the. latex, the adhesive will preferably contain honey or vegetable glue, desirably to the extent of about 20% by weight, to retard the drying of the latex.

In Figures 1 to 4 inclusive I show a very desirable form of my invention. The box 20 is made from two blanks 2| and 22 of wood secured together by a hoop 23.

Each of the blanks 2i and 22 is made from sheet of veneer preferably one-twentieth to onethirtieth of an inch thick. The wood is first moistened by steam treatment prior to preparation of the veneer, and is then, while moist, placed upon a veneer-making lathe, well known in the art, which turns off a sheet of veneer of the desired thickness. The sheets of veneer are then cut up in any suitable manner, well known in the art, producing blanks of the external shape shown in Figure 4, having bottom portions 24 and side portions 25 whose edges 26 flare outwardly with respect to the edges 21 of the bottom portions 24. At the same time that the blank is cut, it is also scored as indicated at 28 in the conventional manner. The scoring permits upward bending of the sides 25 without breaking the veneer sheet.

I desire to form window openings 29 in the side walls, preferably double openings in each side wall separated by a muntin 363. The square holes for the Window openings may be formed either while the sheet is moist, or while it is dry as later explained. I find it preferable, however, to form the window openings before the sheets have been dried, preferably stacking several sheets and cutting the openings in them at one time.

- I have experimented with application of pliable transparent material sheets 3i to cover the window openings 29. I find it best to use 'a latex adhesive 32 which is spread over the inner surface of the wood in a band extending around the window openings and preferably for the full width of the muntin 30.

If the wood be moist when the adhesive is ap plied, the subsequent drying of the wood will.

, cause shrinkage of the wood and the finished window will'be crinkled and uneven inappearance, as the pliable transparent material does not shrink with the wood. Furthermore, I find that the latex adhesive does not satisfactory impregnate or penetrate the wood when the wood is moist. I therefore dry the wood before application of the pliable. transparent material and beforeuse of the adhesive.

When the blank as shown in Figure 4 has been satisfactorily completed, it is crossed with a desirably identical blank and the two blanks are stapled together as at 33. The four sides are then bent up and bound together by the hoop 23, which is secured to the upper ends of the sides by staples 34. In the form of Figure 1, a continuous hoop is used, which starts at 35, ends at 36 and changes at 31 from inside to outside theside walls of the box. It will be understood that any desired hoop construction may be used, and that the hoop can be made in one or in several pieces.

The form of Figures 1 to 4 is a much more attractive merchandising vehicle than the box of the prior art, and has a pronounced effect in enhancing the price of the fruit, berries or vegetables sold in it. .Due to the use of the double windows and the muntin 30, the weight of the contents of the box has little or no tendency to bulge the pliable transparent material outwardly and destroy the straightness of the side contours of the box.

Where the size of the box necessitates this precaution, any desired number of muntins 30 may be employed on a given side.

It is practically impossible to pack the box of Figures 1 to 4 with inferior goods without the inferior quality being easily observable by inspection through the windows without partially or wholly emptying the box of its contents.

In Figures and 6 I illustrate a somewhat variant form of fruit, berry or vegetable box which is identical with that shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive except that the respectively crossed blanks from which the bottoms and sides of the box are made are of unequal and complementary dimensions. The blank portion 2| is relatively wide and relatively short, while the blank portion 22 is relatively narrow and relatively long. The length of the bottom of the blank 2| is substantially equal to the width of the bottom of the blank 22', and likewise the width of the bottom of the blank 2| is substantially equal to the length of the bottom of the blank 22'. The blank 21' is provided with double window openings in each side separated by a muntin 30.

The blank 22 has single window openings as shown at 29 in each end. These openings may optionally be omitted, at some sacrifice 'ofefficiency. The: process of attaching: the pliable transparent material and of "forming the box or" Figures d and dis" th'e'same as 'that of Figures l'toi'inclusive. I I 1 In Figures 7., 8 and 9: l3 ill'ustratea desirable alternative form of my invention in: which the sides of the box preferably comprisasep'ara-te blanks 38, 39, 40 and 4! and the bottomis formed from a separate blank 42; The structure is held together by a series of ribs which extend across thebottom and up each side and are surrounded by the hoop' 23'. There are preferably three-ribs 43, 44 and 45 extending in one direction and three ribs 46', 4 1 and 48 extending in the transverse direction. The ribs 43, 44 and 45 preferably lie below the ribs 45-, 41- and 48; Each of the ribs 43, 45, 46 and 48 follows a lateral edge" of thebottom and lateral edges of opposite sides.

Each side 38, 39, 40 and 4| of the box preferably has double window openings separated by a muntin 3B, and covered on its inside surface by pliable transparent material applied in the manner already described in reference to Figures 1 to 4. The middle ribs 44 and 4'! are preferably in line with the muntins, so as not to obscure the window openings, and improve the appearance of the box.

The sides 38, 39, 40 and 4| and the bottom 42 are secured to the ribs 43, 44, 45, 46, 4'! and 48 by suitable adhesive, and the ribs are secured to one another and to the hoop 23' and the hoop is secured together by suitable adhesive. As I plan to apply latex for Securing the pliable transparent material to the wood, I will also preferably use latex for securing together the wooden parts of the box. It will be understood, however, that other adhesive may be employed, and that the importance of using a resilient adhesive in securing together the wooden parts of the box of Figures 7 to 9 is much less than the importance of using a resilient adhesive to secure the pliable transparent material to the wood. The adhesive will preferably be applied to the box of Figures 7 to 9 when the wood is dry.

To facilitate ventilation of the fruit, berries or vegetables contained within the box, I leave spaces 49 between the lowermost edges of the sides and the bottom of the box.

The preferable manner of assembling the box of Figures 7 to 9 inclusive is to assemble the ribs in flat position, fastening them together by adhesive at the corners, and then to secure the bottom and sides by adhesive to the ribs in fiat position, producing the construction shown in Figure 9. The sides may then be bent up as in the structure of Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.

With any of the boxes of my invention, I will preferably use the method of manufacture previously described, drying the wood before applying thepliable transparent material to it and attaching the pliable transparent material to the wood by a resilient adhesive, preferably a rubber adhesive containing latex.

I deem it desirable to avoid having a window opening in the bottom, as the bottom must bear the weight of the fruit, berries or vegetables in the box and must also rest on top of a lower box in the crate, where it is likely to be bulged outwardly or inwardly and to transmit localized pressure to the fruit, berries or vegetables, causing them to spoil.

It will be evident that various changes may be made in the construction of the boxes without departing from: the spirit of my invention, and, in particular, that the number of windows in a side does not affect the invention. l Where-I refer in the specification to Cellophane, and also inthe claims, I use this term in-its general or popular sense to designate any suitable pliable transparent substance of this general typer In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individualwhim or particular need will doubtless become evident. to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or parts of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore,"claim all suchin so far as they fall withinthe reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

- Having thus described-my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isza 1 l. A box' for fruit, berries. and vegetables co-mprising a windowless wooden bottom and wooden side walls, there being a window opening in the wooden side walls, pliable transparent material extending over the window opening and the adjoining portions of the side wall and latex penetrated into the side wall adjoining the window opening, adhesively securing the pliable transparent material to the side wall and resiliently yielding to accommodate differences between the pliable transparent material and the wood.

2. A box for fruit, berries and vegetables having wood walls of veneer thickness provided with a plurality of window openings, pliable transparent material covering the window openings and covering portions of the wood walls adjacent the window openings on the inside of the box and adhesive penetrated into the wood walls by virtue of application to the dry Wood, securing the pliable transparent material to the wood walls, said adhesive being resilient.

3. A fruit, berry and vegetable box comprising wood blanks of veneer thickness extending transversely of one another, each blank forming one layer of the windowless bottom and two opposite sides of the box, the blanks extending within a hoop which is secured to the upper ends of said blanks, there being two window openings in each side of the box separated by a muntin, and a strip of pliable transparent material extending across both window openings at each side of the box on the inside thereof and secured to the inside of the box by resilient adhesive on all edges of each window opening, the pliable transparent material extending across the muntins.

4. A fruit, berry and vegetable box comprising crossed wooden blanks of veneer thickness, each blank forming a layer of the bottom and two opposite sides of the box, there being in each side double window openings separated by a,

muntin, a sheet of pliable transparentmaterial attached to the inner surface of each side, extending across both window openings and across the muntin and attached by resilient adhesive to the portions of the side adjacent to the window openings and to the inside of the muntin and. a hoop passing around the box at its upper edge and secured to the upper edges of the sides.

5. A fruit, berry and vegetable box comprising separate sides and bottom of wood or veneer thickness, there being window openings in each side, a plurality of wooden ribs extending beneath the bottom and up each side, the ribs being secured by adhesive to the sides and bottom, a hoop surrounding the top of the sides and the ends of the ribs and secured by adhesive to the sides and ribs and pliable transparent material covering the window openings and secured to the inside of the walls.

6. A fruit, berry and vegetable box comprising a wooden bottom, wooden sides separate from the edge thereof and extending up opposite sides at 7 each lateral edge thereof, ribs extending across the bottom and extending up opposite sides in registry with the muntins, the ribs being secured by adhesive to the sides and bottom, and a hoop surrounding the top of the box outside of the ends of the ribs and secured by adhesive to the ribs.

7. A box for fruit, berries, vegetables and the like comprising walls of thin pliable material subject to expansion and contraction during use, there being a window opening in one of the walls, a sheet of, pliable transparent material covering the window opening and resilient adhesive securing the sheet of pliable transparent material to the adjoining wall and efiecting a stretchable union between the sheet of transparent material and thewall.

8. A box for fruit, berries, vegetables and the like comprising walls of thin pliable material subject to expansion and contraction during use, there being window openings in the walls thereof sheets of pliable transparent material covering the window openings and resilient adhesive securing the sheets of pliable transparent material to the adjoining walls and eflecting a stretchable union between the sheet of transparent material and the walls.

MAYNARD LAWRENCE HARRIS. 

